In
the years immediately following the retirement of wrestling's top star
of the early twentieth century, Frank Gotch, pro wrestling experienced
a bit of a tailspin. Without the credibility brought to the profession
by the respected Gotch, or the impressive revenue generated while the internationally
known champion held the World title, promoters were desperate to find "the
next Frank Gotch." Of course, a star such as Gotch comes only once
or twice per generation, but with his absense from the sport came opportunity
for those matmen who were ambitious and talented enough to answer the call.

With
the undisputed champion in retirement, a "new number one" was ready to
be crowned and a bounty of talented grapplers stepped up to the challenge.
One of those early post-Gotch champions was an athletic, talented wrestler
by the name of Joe Stecher. Wrestling in the shadow of the legendary
Gotch was no easy task, but Stecher was more than determined to establish
himself as the best wrestler in the world, and, as the World Heavyweight
champion for more than six years all total, he undoubtedly proved his worth
while forever cementing his lofty position in professional wrestling history...

Following
the retirement of the sport's number one attraction in 1913, promoters
across the country were searching for a man, or men, that could help fill
the void left by Gotch's departure from wrestling. Nebraska's Joe
Stecher was one of the top young grapplers of the day, and, after amassing
an impressive collection of victories throughout the Midwest and Western
states, Stecher came to national prominence on July 5, 1915. That
date marks the day that the unassuming young Stecher defeated Charlie Cutler
for the World championship in what was, at that time, one of the premier
wrestling cities in the world, Omaha, NE. In fact, Gotch himself
(pictured) was in attendance that night in Omaha, and it was with the world-reknowned
former champion's support that the new titleholder set out to carry on
in the tradition of Gotch and other greats who had held the belt, while
at the same time, stake his own claim as a deserving champion in the 'King
of Sports'.

Stecher
was the man who introduced the Leg Scissors to professional wrestling,
and it was with his trademark submission move (which could be placed either
on the head or the torso) that Stecher won a large percentage of his matches,
both before and after he became the World Heavyweight champion. While
he was by no means a large man in terms of pro wrestling, Stecher was wiry
and athletic, deceivingly strong, and well-versed in the fundementals of
grappling. For two years, the young champion sat atop the wrestling
world as the Heavyweight champion, defending his title frequently and serving
as the unofficial post-Gotch ambassador of his sport. And while it's
true that it was nearly impossible to match Gotch's extraordinary popularity
or his immense box-office drawing power, the soft-spoken but highly competent
Stecher was still a definite crowd favorite, and a successful champion
in virtually every measurable way.

Joe
Stecher's first reign as the World champion ended on April 9, 1917 in a
match that was considered a major upset. Stecher, who was nearing
his third year as champion, was defeated in a title match against a relative
unknown by the name of Earl Caddock in a hard-fought but clean bout.
Following his loss of the championship, Stecher remained one of the top
wrestlers in the game and a solid performer at the box-office. Eventually,
he worked his way back into the championship picture, and on January 30,
1920 he defeated Caddock for the World title in a rematch held in New York
City.

After
an eleven-month run with the belt during which he met & defeated the
best wretlers of the day, Stecher came up against the man who was perhaps
the most formidable opponent of his career, a wrestler who emerged as the
most dominant wrestler of the post-Gotch era, the legendary shooter Ed
"Strangler" Lewis (pictured). On December 12, 1913, Lewis -- the
most skilled & dangerous wrestler in the game at that time -- defeated
the overmatched Stecher for the World championship, ending Stecher's second
reign as the champion. Many years later, Stecher commented that "Lewis
was the toughest man I ever wrestled."

Following
his loss of the title, the talented Nebraskan continued on as one of wrestling's
most recognized names and a consistent top draw while selling out arenas
around the country. After competing for several years without winning
a championship, by the mid-twenties the resilient Stecher (who was still
relatively young, despite his many years of experience) was once again
in the hunt for the title.

On
March 30, 1925, he defeated another legendary name from the past, the great
Stanislaus Zbyzsco, for the World Heavyweight Wrestling championship in
St. Louis, MO. Over the course of the following three years, the
three-time World champion incorporated his skill and speed to maintain
his firm hold on the World title. However, eventually, he again crossed
paths with the nearly unbeatable Ed "Strangler" Lewis and, as had been
the case several years earlier, Stecher lost his World title to Lewis on
February 2, 1928.

As
one of modern pro wrestling's Founding Fathers, former World champion Joe
Stecher's impact on the business was indeed profound, and his legendary
career truly helped serve as a bridge from what wrestling had been in the
past to what it would eventually become in the future. With that in mind,
HistoryofWrestling.com is proud to induct one of wrestling's most important
early champions, former multi-time (pre-N.W.A.) World Heavyweight Wrestling
titleholder Joe Stecher, into the H.O.W. Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame......